Clemency
by Silverowl61
Summary: On the night of their graduation, Annabeth finds her fiancée in the arms of another. 10 years later, she's married to a former classmate, and has two children. Though, when a shocking family scandal appears, will she be able to rely on a familiar black haired boy? Link for cover in bio
1. Chapter 1

_Annabeth's Perspective _

_**May 28, 2016**_

Someone knocked on my door. Me, being my usual self, expected it to be Percy, my boyfriend. Instead, when I peered through the eye hole I found myself staring at a classmate of mine, bedecked in the graduation robes that were custom made for today. I clumsily opened the several locks placed upon my door, and swung it open.

"Annabeth! You look great!" Was the response of my blonde classmate.

"Thanks," I said. Of course I looked good. I wore my emerald knee length dress that jutted out at my hips, along with a pair of gold strappy heels. (which honestly hurt so bad, but made the outfit look good.) On my left hand was a ring, placed on that one special finger. My friends, Thalia, Piper, and Hazel talked about my engagement enviously. Even though we were engaged, I still called him my boyfriend, almost as if I'm trying to say, '_We aren't married yet, sucker!' _

"How are things at work?" I asked, seeing my friend crane his neck towards a table of pictures, which held an embarrassing amount of Percy and I.

"Oh, things are going good. They said that I'll probably get to go to Brazil next month to shoot pictures for the Olympics. I'm super excited about that." He said, walking into my apartment and sitting on the sofa.

"Look, Luke," I began. "I know that I might have been giving off the impression that I had a thing for you the other day in Economics, but, I'm engaged." I said, pointing to the ring. His face hardened.

"To that Seaweed Brain, aren't you?" This sly reference I realized was because Percy sometimes left Stanford out of the blue to go surfing. Originally, I found this revolting and shallow, but that's how he found his calm. Mine was reading Plato and other Greek works, and his was the ocean. I understood his method.

"Yes, Luke. I'm getting married in a year to _Percy." _I said. He shook his head.

"Well, I'm happy for you. Just," He stood up, and put his hand on my shoulder. "If he ever hurts you, I'll come and save you, okay Annie?" I cringed. He'd been calling me 'Annie' since we met in seventh grade. Of course, over the years I didn't mind, but now I found it distasteful.

"Okay. Thanks, Luke. Now, I really gotta get going." I said hurriedly. I wanted him out of my apartment now.

"Okay. See you at graduation." He said. I nodded, and watched him walk out the door. I closed my eyes, and someone knocked again. I got up, and opened the door.

"Hey, don't you look fabulous?" Percy said. I smirked.

"Hello, Perce." I said, taking in his outfit, a black suit, a matching emerald dress shirt, and a thin black tie. In other words, _**hot. **_

"Was that Luke Castellan I saw walking out of your apartment?" He asked, snaking his arms around my waist.

"Yes, he came to ask me out. I showed him the ring, but he didn't seem to register what it meant." I sighed. Percy nodded.

"Did I tell you I found Rachel outside of my door, begging for me to take her back? Geez, having a major in Philosophy must really mess up your mind." He said, picking me up, and walking into my tiny bedroom.

"Percy, no!" I exclaimed, as he threw me on the bed, and layed down next to me.

"We don't have time for any foolery, Mr. Jackson. We need to get to the auditorium." I said, getting up, and grabbing my robe and cap out of the miniscule closet.

"C'mon Wise Girl. One kiss?" He pouted. I shook my head.

"Maybe tonight, after the party." He nodded.

"Fine. C'mon, I have my robes and car downstairs." He said, pulling me out of the bedroom, and out the door.

* * *

"Annabeth Chase, major Architecture, minor Greek!" Dean Travers announced. I walked up the stage, and grasped a piece of paper in my hand. I could hear my dad, mom, stepmom, and brothers cheering loudly. I held it up, and grinned widely. An array of names passed by, and then they got to Percy.

"Perseus Alexander Jackson, major Law, minor Greek!" My boyfriend walked up the stage. I heard his dad and his mom cheer as well as me. I quickly took out my iPhone, and snapped a picture of him holding his diploma.

* * *

I did something that night that I usually never did. I went to a bar. Of course, I just had a glass of wine, not one of those frisky martini things or whatever. I waited on a barstool swirling my glass, until Percy walked in.

"Everyone's here, so I had to park a block away." He exclaimed breathlessly. I nodded, and handed him my glass. He took a sip, and shuddered.

"Man, that stuff is bad!" He exclaimed. I shrugged.

"I like it, that doesn't mean you have to." I said, glancing around the room. I saw Piper and Jason, both friends of ours, cuddling in a corner. Frank and Hazel, more friends, were sitting casually next to each other, hands touching. Thalia, my best friend, was sitting next to Luke, who was sitting glumly next to the exit, as if he might make a dash for it any second.

"Wanna go dance?" He asked, placing his hand on my leg.

"In a minute, I gotta go to the bathroom." I replied, grabbing my purse.

"I'm gonna go talk to Leo. I'll meet you back here in five?" He said. I nodded, and left my chair.

I finished in the bathroom and came out a few minutes after we decided to meet. I walked back to our seats, ready to apologize, but he wasn't there.

"Percy?" I called out, looking for his mop of dark hair. I sat back down, thinking that he was just taking too long talking to Leo, who'd just received an Engineering degree. The time passed by, and by the time I'd been sitting for a half an hour, I was mad. I walked over to Piper and Jason.

"Have you seen Percy?" I asked, looking desperate.

"I saw him with Charlie Beckendorf a while ago, but I haven't seen him since." Piper said, fixing her blouse. "Try Hazel." I walked over to Hazel.

"Have you seen Percy?" I asked. Hazel shook her head.

"I saw him with Leo, a while ago." Frank interjected. I nodded. Once I found Leo (in a crowd of girls) I asked if he'd seen him.

"He's um, oh! Over there with…" His voice trailed off. "Annabeth, look." He said, pointing at a booth. Rachel Elizabeth Dare sat on top of his lap, kissing him passionately. His hands were entangled in her endless red curls. I stormed over to them.

"Perseus Jackson!" I shouted. They broke away from each other. Both faces mirrored shock.

"How long has this been going on?" I asked, guessing that they'd been doing things behind my back for a while.

"Annabeth! She pounced on me! I would nev-" Percy began, but Rachel interrupted him.

"Almost as long as your engagement, Blondie." She replied coolly. My face turned red.

"Percy, you told me we would be a family." I said, only loud enough for him to hear. His eyes fell.

"He never wanted you, Chase. He always wanted me." Rachel said. I took off the emerald ring.

"Take it, then. It's yours now, Rachel." I said, forcing open her hand, and placing the ring inside.

"Have a nice life, Percy." I said, and strutted away towards the exit.

Upon reaching the exit, I realized that I did have any means of transportation back to my apartment, which ended up being five miles away. '_It's good exercise!' _I lied to myself. I slowly walked down the street, until tears started to flow rapidly down my cheeks. I felt my makeup running, and saw black drops fall off my face and on to the pavement. I kept walking, a fiery determination dwelling inside me. It wasn't until a familiar red Nissan pulled over that I stopped.

"Are you alright, Annie?" Luke asked, his face concerned.

"Luke," I murmured. "Save me."

* * *

**Hi there! So, if you haven't read my other fanfics, I'm Liz. This is going to be a new story, based around Lukeabeth and Percabeth. It combines both, so you'll just have to favourite/follow this story to find out! Reviews (without swearing) are appreciated! **

**xx Liz **


	2. Chapter 2

**10 years later**

_Annabeth's Perspective_

Our limbs were still entangled when I woke up. I felt my head on his chest, which was heaving ever so lightly. I slowly got up,and moved his arm gently, but my husbands' arm wrapped around me once more.

"Where do you think you're going, sweetheart?" He said, pulling me back onto his bare chest.

"To get dressed. I have to go to work, and I have to get the kids ready." I replied, trying to escape his bear hug. He kissed my forehead.

"I can get the kids if you make breakfast." He whispered, giving me a lingering kiss. I returned the action.

"No, you make the best food. I'll wake them up." I replied. He shrugged, and kissed me once more.

"Luke, stop!" I exclaimed, swatting him playfully. He kissed me again.

"I won't stop. Because today is our tenth wedding anniversary, and you deserve to be showered in love and kisses." He said, moving in close and nuzzling my neck. I sighed.

"Oh, fine! But at least let me get dressed first." I said. He agreed, and I went into the closet to put on a work outfit. Black pencil skirt, sea green dress shirt, and a pair of black high heels. Nothing too fancy, except for some gold jewelry. Luke walked in to get his clothes, and whistled.

"Wow, can you ever stop being gorgeous?" He said, admiring the skirt. I laughed.

"After nine years of marriage, you aren't so bad yourself." I replied. He smiled, and wrapped his well toned arms around my waist.

"Annabeth, thank you for being an amazing mom, an amazing architect, and an amazing wife. I love you so much." He said, kissing the top of my head. I blushed.

"Thank you for saving me." I replied softly. His eyes fell to the floor.

"You knew that Seaweed Brain was going to run out of charm one of those days." His voice was cold and harsh, unlike the warmth it held only a moment ago.

"Well, let's not think about him. Let's think about making our kids breakfast. Okay?" I said, wrapping my arms around shoulders. He dipped me, and kissed my neck.

"Gods, I love you." He whispered, and at that moment our son started to yell.

"Mommy! There's a SPIDEY!" Luke chuckled.

"What is with you three and spiders?" He asked, a glint in his eye. I slapped him.

"Parental thing, as if your attraction to shiny things wasn't enough." I replied. He blushed cheekily. Our son then ran in, his dinosaur pajama bottoms on top of his head, his lower half only concealed by Toy Story underwear.

"Andrew, how many times have we told you not to yell when you see a spider?" Luke said, shaking his head fretfully.

"But it was on my WALL!" Andrew pouted. Luke ruffled his messy blonde hair.

"It's alright, sport. Go put on some clothes, and wake Ariadne up. I'll get your cereal ready." Andrew huffed, but he exited the room to put his clothes on. He did this not before shouting loudly, "ARIA! WAKE UP!"

"That kid is going to end up like one of your brothers." I said, thinking of Travis and Connor.

"Hey, we could use a little humour in the family, especially with Miss OCD practicing her violin or worrying about GT homework." Luke replied, thinking about their oldest child.

"Firstly, it's a cello. Secondly, it's good for her to be engaged with her schoolwork. That means she'll be successful in life." I countered, raising her eyebrows at the expression her husband was making.

"Well, I wish she'd get back to playing with us. She really liked that." He sighed, then kissed me on the forehead, and left to prepare breakfast.

* * *

One thing in life that I am extremely proud of is that I designed my house. The five bedroom, four bath, 3,270 feet total structure is how I have always wanted my house to be.

The thing I didn't expect was to have four of my and Luke's relatives sitting in our kitchen when I walked in for coffee.

"What the-" I muttered, then stopped myself for the fear of letting a curse word out while my innocent (or at least what I thought) children sat with their cousins.

"Travis? Robin? Katie? Malcolm? What in Zeus' name are you doing here?" I asked, flabbergasted.

"Luke invited us to stay at your house while you two go to your reunion." Robin, my half-sister exclaimed, rocking Andy back and forth in her arms. I frowned, and watched Katie and Travis as they oogled over their two year old, Sophie.

"He did, did he?" I asked, shaking my head curtly. Robin nodded, and shrugged.

"I'm off for two weeks, since the Stanford Pre-Collegiate camps run with breaks in between them, so my Humanities class will start in a few weeks." She said. I nodded, knowing that Robin was super involved with teaching high schoolers over the summer.

"Amie and I thought that we should get away from Miami for a few days, since the summer really brings in large crowds." Malcolm interrupted. His wife, Amie sat next to him, and pushed a stray lock of platinum-blonde hair off of his forehead.

"What about Courtney, Xavier, and Eta?" I asked my brother, who looked very relaxed for not having his kids running around my house.

"They're all at a different summer camp. Courtney's a counselor at the Girl Scout camp in Half Moon Bay, since she turned seventeen she's allowed to counsel. Xavier is at his bible camp with a bunch of his teenager friends, and Eta's at Juilliard doing some sort of drama camp." Amie interjected, stroking Malcolm's hair affectionately. I've never liked Amie, to be honest.

"So you thought coming to my house and watching my kids would be some sort of oasis for you?" I asked all of my guests, still trying to figure out how in God's name Luke invited all of our relatives. Thank God Connor wasn't here, otherwise Robin would burst into tears (they're exes) and Travis and him would blow up my house.

"I came because you live close to Stanford…" Robin said.

"We came because Luke invited us…" Malcolm and Amie said.

"We came because we wanted cute shots of Sophie by the Golden Gate Bridge…" Travis and Katie said. I shook my head and sighed.

"Luke!" I shouted. He ran in from the kitchen, and had a scared look on his face.

"What? What is it?" He asked shakily.

"You invited six people into our house to watch our two children?" I asked, automatically placing my hands on my hips. Luke sighed in relief.

"You sounded like someone was hurt. You're okay though, right?" He asked, walking over to me and taking my hands into his.

"Of course, yes, I'm great." I said, smiling. "But you didn't answer my question." Luke sighed.

"Yes, I did. I didn't know that all of them would be able to come." He said sheepishly. I shook my head some more.

"Alright, all of you may stay. Just be warned, if I come back and Aria's wearing makeup and Andy knows how to drive and my house is a mess I will murder all of you." I said. My guests, now all having matching scared looks on their faces responded. I checked my watch, and saw that I had ten minutes to get my children out of the house. I went into the kitchen and saw that neither of my kids had gotten a decent breakfast. Andrew had picked out sugary cereal, which I immediately removed from his spot at the table. Ariadne was nibbling on a granola bar, but her pale face reflected that it was not filling her up.

"Hey Aria, do you need something else to eat?" I asked soothingly. She looked up at me with her father's blue eyes.

"Yes, please. This granola bar only has 4 grams of protein, whereas I need several more to function properly between first and third period." Aria said. I grabbed the eggs out of the fridge and sat them on the counter, then began to search for a pan.

"We don't want you to not function Aria, because then maybe your daily collaboration grade would sink down to an A-." I said jokingly, but her dark eyebrows shot up.

"An A-! Please don't say things relating to such dastardly deeds as that, Mom." She said shakily. I raised my eyebrows.

"What's with the textbook language so suddenly?" I asked as I scrambled the eggs.

"It's comprehensive reading week in the GT program. We're having to analyze a variety of texts and prove our whole and complete knowledge of the hidden meanings behind the stories." Aria said factually. I nodded vaguely as a scooped out two equal portions of eggs and placed both plates in front of my kids.

"Eat fast. You have five minutes." I said as I grabbed a mug and placed a keurig packet in the machine. Seconds later, a steaming hazelnut latte was accessible to me. I placed the rim of the cup to my lips and took as sip. I sighed as the caffeine rushed through my veins, then surveyed my children. Andrew was wearing his National Museum of Natural History shirt that had a dinosaur on it. Ariadne had on her striped dress from Gap and had her matching headband on as well.

"Mommy, the bus is here!" Andy yelled. I grabbed both of their lunchboxes off of the counter and tossed them to my children.

"Bye Andrew! Bye Ariadne!" I called to them.

"Don't call me Ariadne!" She called back to me. "I don't like that weird Greek name!"

"Yeah, Mom girls make fun of her!" Andy called back. "See you on Monday! Have fun at your thingy with Daddy!"

"Bye kids! Be good for you aunts and uncles!" I said waving. I sighed, and collapsed in a chair outside on my porch. Two strong hands placed themselves on my shoulders.

"Are you excited for tonight?" Luke asked. I shrugged.

"It's just a bunch of people we went to college with. It's going to be really weird, like when I see my old roommates and they tell me about their kids. That just sounds weird saying it." I said shaking my head. Luke grunted.

"You know who I'm least excited to see." He said, a bitter tone laced into his voice.

"I'm not going to talk to him, and even if I do it's not like I'm going to run off with him." I said jokingly. Luke's face stiffened.

"Yeah, right." He said. "Anyways, he's probably still married to that crackpot redhead anyways." I stopped short.

"Wait… he married Rachel?" I asked shocked.

"Yeah, Thals went to the wedding. She didn't want to tell you." Luke said quietly.

"Oh, well that's cool. I'm glad he's moved on." I said. Luke kneeled down next to me.

"Hey, Annie, everything's gonna be fine. We're going to have a nice, romantic weekend and then make a pitstop to see some old friends at Stanford for the reunion. Nothing's going to ruin our fun." I smiled widely.

"Of course. Nothing can."


	3. Chapter 3

_Annabeth's Perspective_

Four o'clock on Saturday night came quicker than I imagined. Choosing an outfit was my number one priority, because everyone knows that the only thing people go to reunions is to show off how good they still look. After deliberating between three separate things, I chose a short sleeved black dress with some bright blue heels to match Luke's tie. I put the dress on and did my hair in a simple braid that Aria had (painstakingly) taught me. I walked out to the main room where Luke was sitting watching some old reruns on Disney Channel.

"Wow, Miss Annabeth you look amazing." He said, as his eyes unglued from the TV.

"Thanks Mr. Castellan but we need to get going." I said, slapping his arm impatiently.

"Already? But I haven't seen this episode in a long time." He whined.

"Luke, you're watching Hannah Montana. I watched that episode when I was 10." I said shaking my head.

"But I need to see if she chooses Jesse or Jake!" Luke whined. I slapped him again.

"She chooses Jesse. Get up." I said sharply. He turned the TV off and stood up.

"Wow, someone's a spoiler." He said sarcastically. I picked up my purse and the keys to our car.

"Let's go, Miss Annabeth." Luke said.

"After you, Mr. Castellan." I replied. "Ready for a wild night?"

"You bet."

* * *

After parking in the lot of the same bar I attended ten years ago, a hideous wave of nostalgia washed over me. All I could see was that night, instead of the bright July sun that I was shielding my eyes from.

"Hey, you okay?" Luke asked as he slid out from the car.

"Yeah, just remembering some stuff." I said quickly. "You ready to go?" He nodded in response, and took my hand.

"Remember, if he comes and it gets bad then we can leave in 10 seconds or less." He said soothingly. I nodded again.

"Alright, I suppose I'll be alright." I said confidently, and then grabbed his hand and we walked across the surprisingly full parking lot into the bar.

* * *

I hadn't realized how much I'd lost touch with my college friends until I saw all of them in one place. Firstly, I went and hugged Piper.

"Oh my goodness! We haven't gotten together in ages! I've missed hanging out with you guys!" She said. It made me question how much I'd been a great friend recently, and when I decide i hadn't been, I made an effort to find out about was working at a non-profit organization, a job that she apparently loves. I'd forgotten she'd gotten married to Jason (even though I was a bridesmaid in the wedding.) but I automatically remembered when she showed me pictures of her two sons Daniel and Felix.

"They both look just like their father!" She exclaimed when she pulled the pictures out. I nodded and smiled when I saw identical heads of golden blonde hair. Piper then immediately pulled me over to see Hazel and Calypso, who freaked out when they saw me.

"Annabeth! How are you!" Calypso shrieked, jumping up and down.

"I'm good! I'm good, how are you!" I asked, hugging both girls tightly.

"I'm great! Leo and I _finally _got married last year, and we're expecting!" She said brightly, placing her hand on her small stomach.

"That's so great! Do you know what gender it's gonna be?" I ask, smiling widely. I knew they had tried for a baby before they got married and things hadn't gone well.

"Well, we're past the point when we can tell, and it's gonna be a girl!" Calypso said, beaming.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so happy for you!" Hazel said, wiping tears from her eyes. I was surprised to see her, as I knew she and Frank lived in China now. Frank worked as a Canadian Ambassador for the Canadian Government.

"How are you, Hazel?" I asked, unsure about anything in her life other than her being married.

"I'm good. I'm not sure if I've told you, but we adopted a little boy in China." Hazel said. "His name is Paul, and he's two." I looked down at her phone and saw a chubby Chinese boy beaming back at me.

"Isn't he the cutest thing ever?" I said, looking up at Hazel.

"We're thinking about adopting a girl too, we've contacted our adoption agency and they're holding a two week old for us to get when we go back." Hazel said. "She was abandoned by her parents three days after she was born. They left her in an alleyway in a cardboard box." I gasped.

"That's horrible!" Hazel nodded.

"We've wanted a girl for a while, and I guess this is our chance." She smiled.

"Hey! You haven't seen Frank yet! C'mon, he's over at the bar with all the men and Clarisse. Wait until you see Clarisse and Chris!" Hazel said, pulling my wrist gently. I followed her and my other friends to the bar, and grinned when I saw all of my old friends talking amidst each other.

"Hey guys!" I said, settling myself on a stool next to my husband and Hazel.

"Annabeth! Hey girl what's up?" Leo said, leaning over the counter to see me.

"Hi Leo. How's life?" I asked, noticing he didn't look any different than he did ten years ago.

"Excellent, I have a gorgeous wife and a daughter on the way. Nothing could be better." He took a sip from his drink and sighed happily. "How's you and the fam? Luke's still charming, or have you gotten tired of his obnoxious face yet?" Luke shot a glance at Leo.

"Yes, dearest, are you tired of my company or do you still enjoy the days we share together?" Luke asked overdramatically.

"Well love, I find our days quite enjoyable and I wouldn't want to fill my hours with any enjoyment that I cannot find within you and your talents sir." I replied curtly. Leo, Frank, Jason, and their wives all laughed.

"I'm glad you feel that way, m'am." Luke said, leaning over and kissing my cheek gently. I blushed and slapped him playfully.

"So how's everyone? Children good, marriages flourishing, taxes paid?" I asked conversationally. They all began to answer me at the same time, and I vaguely listened to the couples complaining over who took up the most space in bed and how their children are crazy and they hope they weren't like that when they were younger. (Knowing my friends, they _probably _were.) I heard someone come into the bar and lots of people shouting hello. I didn't turn around, but continued to carry on a conversation with Frank about living in China.

"Hey Annabeth, you want a drink?" Luke asked me as he slid back into his seat from using the bathroom.

"I'll take some wine. Chardonnay please." I asked the bartender. He nodded in recognition and went to pour my glass.

"You having fun?" Luke asked, taking the hand I had resting on the counter into his.

"Yeah. I hadn't realized we haven't seen these people in a really long time. We really should throw more parties. I've missed these guys." I said.

"I know you have, and I've missed them too. We'll throw a party soon, okay? We can invite all of our old friends; Jason and Piper, Hazel and Frank, Calypso and Leo, Thalia, Nico and Will, the whole group." He said soothingly.

"Speaking of Nico, where is he?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. We both knew how reclusive he could be.

"On a trip to Sicily with Will and their son. They're coming to visit in two weeks." Luke said.

"Are they? Oh I can't wait to see them again." I said smiling. "This is turning out to be a great night."

"I'm glad it is." Luke said, handing me the glass of wine I ordered.

"Thanks." I said. He picked up his glass of whiskey, and held it up.

"Cheers?" He asked.

"Cheers." I replied, clinking our glasses together before going to take a sip.

"So, ten years and you're still drinking that gross stuff." A very familiar voice behind me said. Luke's face automatically turned red. I nearly spit out my wine.

"Hello Annabeth."

* * *

**Hi Guys!**

**So sorry for leaving it on a (semi-not really) cliffhanger, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I would like to ask you all for help with coming up with names for Frank and Hazel's baby girl, Will and Nico's boy, and any other names you would like to share. Make sure to review and check out my other fanfiction, Something Special. See you all soon!**

**xx Liz**


	4. Chapter 4

**Previously:**

_"Cheers?" He asked._

_"Cheers." I replied, clinking our glasses together before going to take a sip. _

_"So, ten years and you're still drinking that gross stuff." A very familiar voice behind me said. Luke's face automatically turned red. I nearly spit out my wine._

_"__Hello Annabeth." _

* * *

_Annabeth's Perspective_

I set my wine glass down hastily, and took a deep breath.

"Hello Perseus." I replied coolly, spinning around on my barstool. I almost gasped in shock.

Gone was the immature looking Percy who at 23 still looked 17. In his place stood a tan, muscular man who if he wouldn't have spoken I wouldn't have recognized him. His jet black hair was longer and more tousled, and his green eyes looked wise and serene. His sea foam dress shirt was rolled at the elbow, and his long black pants were crisp and wrinkle-free. His jawline was as sharp as a knife, and a shadow of stubble spread across his chin.

"May I get a scotch, please? On the rocks." Percy asked the bartender, and he stood in silence for a moment.

"You're doing well?" Percy asked nonchalantly. I nodded.

"Very well. How about you?" I asked. Percy sighed deeply.

"I've had better years, I can say that." I raised my eyebrows, wanting to know why.

"Honey, I'm going to go talk to Thalia quickly, if you need anything I'll be right over there, okay?" Luke said, standing up from his seat.

"All right, have fun." I said dismissively. Luke bent down and kissed me, which in any other occasion I would've enjoyed it. In front of Percy, the person who used to mimic the same action though, was embarrassing. I wanted to push Luke away, but I didn't, I just waited until he was done and had left. When I looked at Percy, his smug expression had vanished, now replaced with something similar to grief.

"So, you got married." I said quietly. Percy cleared his throat.

"Yeah I got married, and divorced." He replied icily. I raised my eyebrows.

"I'm so sorry." I replied. "Was it mutual? Or…"

"I filed for the divorce. I would go into detail, but I doubt you want to listen." Percy said quietly. "Well, it was nice-" He started, but I cut him off.

"I want to know." I said firmly. "Just because things didn't work out between us, that doesn't mean that I don't care about you Perce." Percy looked at me with his deep green eyes for a moment.

"Ah, all right. Well, the only reason Rachel and I got married was because she lied to me. One night we were at a party for one of my clients, and she must've known them because she was there too. Well, there was lots of alcohol involved and things happened, and then she somehow gets my phone number and calls me telling me she's pregnant. Of course, I've been raised that if you get someone pregnant, you get married. It was just a quiet thing at the New York Courthouse. Thalia and my parents were the witnesses. A month after we got married, Rachel calls me from our apartment and she said that she had miscarried. I flew all the way back from Chicago to see if she was all right, but I walk in the door and she's passed out. She had turned to drugs. It was the small stuff first, but as the months went by she got crazier and took more stuff. I tried to stop her from taking them, but she would brush me off. With the drugs, she turned abusive. I'd get home from work and she would sit in the kitchen yelling all sorts of crap at me. She got violent soon afterwards, though. I would come home and she would stand behind doorways, waiting to punch me. I have this," Percy rolled up his sleeve to expose a jagged, white line across his bicep. "From her. She was on so much stuff, that I could never know how to protect myself. Finally, after sending her to rehab three times, I was done. I filed for divorce and represented myself in court. It took two months, but finally I won custody and she was put in a live-in facility." Percy said. I looked down at his hands and saw several more scars. _"How much has he been through?" _I asked myself.

"Well, I'm glad you're done with her. She sounds horrible." I said softly. Percy snorted.

"She was more than horrible. I feel lucky that I survived her for seven years. She's a nightmare. I hope I never see her again." He said.

"I hope you don't either." I replied. He looked up at me, and studied my face for a moment.

"So, you got together with Mr. Superhero, right?" He asked, his troubled expression melting away.

"Yeah, I married _Luke_. We live in San Francisco now." I said quietly. He nodded.

"Do you have any kids?" He asked. I nodded.

"Two. Ariadne and Andrew. Do you want me to show you pictures, like how everyone here is doing, or are you good?" I asked. Percy nodded.

"I want to see them." I grabbed my phone out from my purse and typed in my code. (0714 for my birthday) After searching through screenshotted nonsense, I finally found a family picture.

"Here they are." I said. Percy made a motion to hold my phone, and I gave it to him.

"Ariadne looks nothing like either of you." He remarked, bemused.

"Aria looks like Luke's dad. He has dark hair too, but she got my eyes so she's going to be really pretty when she grows up." I replied. "Andy looks like his dad."

"Ariadne is a pretty name. Ariadne, like the princess Theseus dumped?" Percy asked. I nodded.

"She doesn't like it though, apparently people make fun of her for her name. We call her Aria." I said.

"That's too bad. I think her name is beautiful." He replied. I smiled. Luke hadn't wanted to name her that, he wanted to name her Rachel, after Rachel from **_Friends_**, but I refused.

"Who's Andy named after?" Percy asked. "Is Luke's dad's name Andrew?" I smirked.

"Andy is my favorite character on a TV show called **_Parks and Recreation_**." Percy grinned.

"You like that show too?" He asked. I nodded.

"I used to want to be like Ben when I was younger." Percy said.

"You are quite similar to Ben in many ways, but I would compare you to Leslie. You're way too crazy to be compared to Ben." I said.

"Okay, well if I'm Leslie then you're Ron." He said grinning. I slapped him.

"Do you have any kids?" I asked. Percy nodded, and my stomach sank a little for some unknown reason.

"A ten month old. She's the cutest thing ever." He said smiling.

"What's her name?" I asked curiously.

"Her crazy mother named her Gemini, but her grandparents and I call her Gemma. I wasn't there when she was born, so I had no say in her name. I just legally changed her last name to Jackson a few days ago." He said.

"Gemma sounds really cute. But I guess the Gemini comes from her crazy mother's Astrology minor. Do you have any pictures of her?" I asked.

"I do, but I just have to tell you, she's not a normal ten month year old." He said quietly.

"Percy, I don't care if she's a conjoined twin or if she has an extra leg, I want to see your daughter." I said. Percy laughed.

"Okay, well she's my lock screen. Let me find my phone." He said, and grabbed his phone out of his pocket. He turned on the phone, and I understood.

"She has Down syndrome; a birth defect because of Rachel's drug use. It makes single parenting a bit harder, but she's the sweetest thing ever." Percy said.

"I wanted to bring her here, to show her the city, but she's with my parents and Calli in New York." He said.

"How are your parents?" I asked.

"They're good. I'm not sure if you remember, but two years before we graduated my mom and Paul had Calliope. She's twelve now, and is super smart. She wants to get into some boarding school in New Hampshire and I know she's gonna get in. I'm just so glad at least someone in my family is gonna join MENSA, because I was a bit concerned." Percy said as I laughed.

"Oh yeah, I remember Calli. Remember, we babysat her for a week over Christmas break when your parents went to St. Thomas?" I said. "She was only ten months then, so she wouldn't remember me."

"Oh right! That's when we had the mac and cheese competition and I melted my mom's favorite pot wasn't it?" He asked, his eyes twinkling.

"Yeah. That's also when we took Tyson to Rockefeller Center to ice skate and he tripped those kids on a field trip. Remember his reaction? He was crying and trying to buy the kids some souvenirs as a gift." I said smiling.

"Oh right. That's also when Tyson thought you were pregnant and he bought you all those baby clothes for Christmas. That was such a fun holiday." Percy said.

"That's probably the best Christmas I've ever had." I said honestly. "I miss hanging out with you and your family." I added on quietly. Percy's eyes lowered. An awkward silence filled our conversation as I hastily took a sip of my wine.

"So, um, Perce?" I asked fearfully. He looked up cautiously.

"Yeah? What is it?" He asked slowly.

"I've wondered something for a really long time, and I just need to know. I know it'll make you uncomfortable, but-" I started, but he cut me off.

"You want to know if Rachel and I were really cheating on you, right?" He asked sighing. I nodded.

"The answer is no. The only time in my life I ever had romantic feelings for Rachel was that brief period in freshman year of college when you dated Connor. That's it. I never would've cheated on you." He said. I sighed, very confused.

"Did, did you ever try to follow me, that night?" I asked timidly.

"I tried. I literally threw Rachel off me, took your ring back, and tried to fight my way to the exit. Luke stopped me, and said I'd done enough and that I should let you go. I tried to get past him, but he told his stupid wrestling team friends to hold me back. They wouldn't let me leave, so I called you several times. You never answered, and by the time they let me go, Luke had gone and picked you up. I sat outside your apartment door for days, but when someone finally opened up it was a mover taking some boxes to a moving van. I didn't know how to find you, so I just gave up. I'd gotten a job offer in New York at a law firm, and nothing was keeping me at Stanford, so I left." Percy said quietly.

I sat, flabbergasted at what he was telling me. It was the exact opposite of what Luke had told me happened ten years ago.

"I, I had no idea Percy." I said quietly. Percy sighed again.

"It's okay. It's over now. You have a doting husband and two beautiful children. I'm sorry that I bothered you." Percy said, standing up.

"Where are you going? You aren't bothering me, at all!" I exclaimed angrily. "I've wanted to see you for ten years, regardless of what my husband says. I just wanted to know if you're okay." I said. "But, I guess you are so I'm gonna go now." Percy reached out and grabbed my wrist.

"The only reason you wanted to come to this thing is so you could see me?" Percy asked, running his hand through his hair.

"You, and several other people. I haven't been a very good friend to all of my girls, so I wanted to come and mend things." I said. Percy nodded.

"I've missed all of the guys. Did you know that Hazel and Frank live in China now?" He asked, totally mystified.

"Not until today. I don't think Hazel has a Facebook account, that why I had no idea." I said. Leo suddenly ran up to me, panting heavily.

"Annabeth, girl, there is something I need to tell you." He said breathlessly. "It's one-hundred percent important." I looked at Percy in confusion.

"What is it, Leo?" I asked.

"It's about, well it's about-" Leo started, but at that exact moment, two people walked into the bar. I looked at the figures, and then at Percy, whose face turned white.

"She's here." He whispered.

* * *

**Hi Guys!**

**Thank you so much for the reviews and positive feedback! I'm so happy you guys are enjoying the story so far. Make sure to leave any comments and can anyone predict what Leo needs to tell Annabeth? **

**See you soon!**

**xx Liz**


	5. Chapter 5

**Previously:**

"_Annabeth, girl, there is something I need to tell you." He said breathlessly. "It's one-hundred percent important." I looked at Percy in confusion._

"_What is it, Leo?" I asked._

"_It's about, well it's about-" Leo started, but at that exact moment, two people walked into the bar. I looked at the figures, and then at Percy, whose face turned white._

"_She's here." He whispered._

* * *

_Annabeth's Perspective_

I only recognized one of the people who had just walked in, and I wish I hadn't.

Rachel Elizabeth Dare stood in the doorway of the bar, and she looked horrifying. In the light, her endless red curls gave the impression that her head was consumed in flames. She wore skintight leather pants, a black crop top, and sky-high red heels; in other words, she was a scary, drug addicted, redheaded Sandy from _**Grease.**_ As I continued to examine her, I saw the results of years of drug usage. Her eyes seemed sunk into her skull, and her porcelain skin was waxier and it hung off her limbs like a sweater too big. She turned to the second person, and smiled, her teeth yellow and brown with obvious wear of decay. _If I'm frightened by her appearance, how am I supposed to survive when she comes over here?" _I asked myself.

The second person was a tall, muscular man who I'd never seen in my life. His skin looked as if it used to be a rich chestnut, but now it was a murky brown-gray. The irises of his eyes were lemon yellow. His dull skin was decorated with endless tattoos, most of which I felt should not be permanently painted on a person's skin, but then again it wasn't my place to say. He was wearing a blood red ribbed tank top, and khaki dress shorts. I wasn't sure, but I felt I should be more scared of him than of Rachel.

"Annabeth, you need to leave." Percy said quietly. All of the blood had drained out of his face, and he looked as if he could faint any moment.

"I'm not leaving you, Seaweed Brain." I said. "She's my problem, too. Now that I know everything, I'm not letting her hurt you again." Percy smirked.

"Thanks, Wise Girl." I returned the smile, but then turned back to the duo, who now where making their way towards us. Percy stood up, and clenched his fists. I stood up next to him, and placed my hand on his shoulder reassuringly. He looked back at me, and smiled.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Miss Princess trying to save the day." Rachel sneered. She now was standing right in front of me, and I could see every detail of her ruined face.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Miss I-should-be-in-jail." I retorted. "You have no business here." She cackled evilly.

"Of course I have business here, I graduated ten years ago, and I have a right to celebrate." She said, and then she turned to Percy. "Oh, hi hubby. How's the brat?" Percy held up his fists.

"Don't you dare call her a brat, Rachel, especially after everything she has to suffer with because of you!" He said menacingly. Rachel placed a hand of her chest, as if she was hurt.

"Suffer with? I gave birth to the retched thing, didn't I? I gave her a loving dad who will actually take care of her, unlike me who would've thrown her in an alley and left her. I had to wait for nine horrible months until she could get out. I have suffered more than the stupid girl has." She said. Percy looked murderous.

"You listen to me, you-" Percy started, but I cut him off.

"Rachel, your daughter is only ten months old, but she's already a better person than you are. You lied to me, you lied to Percy, you broke us up when we were freaking _engaged_! I had to send back forty engagement presents because of you! You abused Percy, you hurt your daughter by taking drugs, and you've created this whole mess because of your problems! You cannot blame anything on any of us. I can say, I will forgive you for breaking Percy and I up, not because I hated him or anything, just I can find it in my heart to forgive you. But," I said pausing, getting as close to her face as I could.

"I will never forgive you for hurting Percy. Never. He deserved way better than a girl like you, and he was a gentleman and stayed with you, and all you did was hurt him." Percy stood there in shock, his facial expressions too mixed for me to be able to read them. She stood there with a demonic look in her eyes.

"I never asked him to stay, he stayed because he loved me, you know." She said, letting go of the still unnamed man and latching herself onto Percy, who immediately recoiled.

"I never loved you, Rachel. I stayed with you for seven years to try and help you. You got a college degree, but you squandered it when you started using all that crap. I only wanted to help, but you apparently didn't want it because you stabbed me almost every day." He said. "I'm done with you. Gemma and I moved, and you'll never be allowed to see her. I will protect her to the ends of the earth."

I have to admit, as he said that, my trust in Percy fully restored. I'd never heard anyone talk so passionately about his or her children. Not even Percy's mom Sally, who used to brag about Percy getting a C- (which was really good for him 8th grade, sadly). Had ever said anything like that. Then again, Percy's father wasn't a drug-induced psychomaniac trying to steal Percy from her; he was the owner of Poseidon Fishing Industries. He still always sent me gourmet shrimp and salmon for Christmas.

"Well, what if I told you that Joseph here," Rachel said, gesturing to the buff man standing next to her. "Works at the New York Department of Housing, and that we already know your new address?" Percy's face turned white again, and Rachel laughed.

"My real estate agent, Lotta Simmons told me that my paperwork and transaction would be confidential. We both made sure that my housing paperwork was sealed and not to be opened by anyone of lower ranks in the department." Percy fired back.

"Well, Joseph is vice-head of the department, so your little precaution doesn't work for us." Rachel said, grinning madly. "I've outsmarted you at every turn, Perce. You can't escape me." Percy sat down on his bar stool.

"What the hell do you want from me?" He asked. "I haven't done anything wrong." He sounded as if he was almost whimpering. Rachel folded her hands together.

"Well, now that you asked, I want Gemini. And 2,000 dollars." She said maliciously. Percy looked up, and his face morphed to show anger.

"Why do you want her? You hate her! As for the money you won 3,000 dollars in the divorce, why do you need any more?" He asked angrily.

"I need more money, I've spent it all, and after I get 2,000 and sell the brat to someone who could use her, then I would get around 4,500 and I would have 6,500 to spend on the methods

of my choosing." Rachel said factually. "I've thought the whole thing through."

"You've thought about selling my daughter on the black market, so you can buy more drugs?" Percy shouted.

"How did you guess?" Rachel asked. "See Joe, I told you he's not as stupid as he looks."

"Whoa, whoa, leave him alone. You cannot freaking sell your daughter to buy LSD, or whatever you take. Just leave Percy alone and take your tall, buff, boy toy and move to Albania." I spat.

The unthinkable then happened, Rachel punched me in the face. I only figured out what was happening when I felt the skin on my upper cheek cave in on the bone. As soon as she lifted her hand off of my face, I felt pain blossom over the right side of my face and my eye.

"Rachel!" Percy yelled. "You, spineless, soulless, God-forsaken-" He started, but Joseph grabbed Percy's collar and whispered something into his ear. Percy turned pale again.

"You can't threaten me, sir. I work for the best law firm in New York, and if you hurt so help me-" He started, but Joseph punched Percy in the stomach. Percy staggered back, but he lunged back with an angry look in his eye. He threw a few aimless punches before he finally planted one in the middle of the man's torso. He let out a cry of pain, and punched Percy again. Rachel joined in, and soon the whole party, and all of my friends were by us trying to figure things out. Horrifically, most of them joined the fight.

Suddenly, I felt a tug on my free wrist, and I was being pulled through the crowd. Unable to see anything out of my right eye I followed the person blindly through the bar, and out into the cool California night.

* * *

**Hi guys!**

**I want to say a big **_**THANK YOU **_**for all of the positive feedback you've been sending in. It's been really fun to see your thoughts and your predictions. (hint: one of you **_**almost**_ **has guessed!) **

**I also want to say that I had a fun time with this chapter. I originally was going to write a Chapter 4 ½ to show Percy's perspective, but I think I'll save that for later as an extra. Let me know if you'd like to read that. **

**Also, ****I didn't originally plan to create Rachel as the monster she turned out to be, but I'm kinda pleased with the results.**

**Remember to send in any kid's names (girl for Hazel + Frank, boy for Will + Nico) or any other bits and pieces.**

**I'll see you soon!**

**xx Liz**


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